In Mary’s life we see exemplified the beauty of all life from conception to natural death, a life grounded in family who came and remained together through thick and thin to the very end. She remains with us, her spiritual children, this very day unto our dying breath too.
September 29 is the glorious feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Rafael. Then October 2 we herald our guardian angels. Who are the angels, and how might our life change if we were to celebrate, and call upon, our angels all 365 days of each year?
If we ask our Mother of Grace for help, she will lead us to let go of our attachments, especially attachment to our own way of thinking and perceiving the world. Slowly, like the saints, we too will become excited awaiting Paradise.
February is a month of transitions: late winter preparing for early spring; Lent preparing for Jesus’ passion and death. It begins, however, with a celebration of the return of God to the temple: The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.
When I attended mass back in the 1990’s, the song O Come O Come Emmanuel was sung at every mass during Advent. I thought maybe it was our pastor’s favorite Christmas song! LOL! I didn’t know then about the O Antiphons…
The communion of saints isn’t a sentimental myth. It is our lived reality, our extended family. We are never alone nor unsupported. We live in a supernatural solidarity.
An Ignatian contemplation of the Gospel of Luke chapter 12: Will Jesus come through for me?
Just some thoughts to maintain in the stillness of this silent day, when all of creation is in quiet. Particularly poignant for our year of St. Joseph: “When embrace was done, Old Joseph said, “How is your Mother, How is your Mother, Son?”
In tomorrow’s Gospel, God wants us to hear Jesus’ response to the Pharisees. Several times Jesus repeats ‘truly, truly’ which means LISTEN! What message does Jesus want me to hear?
That He is God’s only begotten Son and does nothing without the Father. He does God’s will. It is the Father showing the Son what He wants for us: healing, relief, love. New life.